What is Automatic Writing?

As a writer (and it turns out I’ve been a writer/record keeper in many lives) I have always naturally been drawn to automatic writing. I remember being about 7 year’s old hanging out in my friend’s bedroom and we both decided to ask Spirit to write through us. Don’t ask me how or why we knew anything about Spirit writing or ‘Automatic’ writing – but that was the type of games my friends and I used to love to play as kids.

We would approach these games with such open innocence and excitement. To be honest I still feel like that before I settle down and commit myself to being an open channel – except nowadays it can happen without me even realising. After an intense writing session where the words flow faster than I can type, I’ll look down at the page and think ‘wow, did I just write all that?’ Trust me, as a writer, it’s awesome when it happens. So much of your time can be spent just thinking about how to start.

So what is Automatic writing and can anyone do it? If you search the web you will see varying descriptions – and to be honest while I experience my life through a spiritual lens, I am equally fascinated with the psychology of how our brains work. It’s all ‘wondrous and magical’ to me regardless.

On the one hand, psychologists believe automatic writing is sourced from your subconscious, while the more spiritually aligned believe automatic writing is channelled from the soul, your higher self, your spirit guides, spirit in general or perhaps even angelic or galactic beings. Mediums and psychics consider automatic writing to be an ancient occult practice whereby the writer becomes the channel for an outside entity to control what’s written.

I am open to each one of these scenarios and perhaps it may vary at any given time – depending on the nature of the message that’s waiting to come through. Ultimately, much of my work is down to tuning in to a vibration/energy/frequency whether that’s in healing, hearing a message or writing it down.

I have to say, going back to my childhood experiences, my friend and I would end up shrieking and screaming and running around the room if we so much as got a squiggle on the page – so those early experiments don’t stand out as being particularly successful in my mind.

However, fast forward about 10 years after that and I found myself living in a bedsit (it’s a long story). In the evenings I would sit down at the wooden table with nothing much to do so I would just write. I’d always been a writer but I would say between the ages of 17 and 18 I was fairly prolific due to the circumstances I’d been thrust into. What I found was if I forced it, the writing didn’t seem to be so good, but if I sat there just doodling or daydreaming suddenly a voice or an idea would make its presence felt in my mind. I would start writing, not even forming ‘consciously’ what was to come next – it just flowed and it would be all I could do to keep up. Oftentimes it would be as though I didn’t even have a chance to form a thought in my mind and yes it was already on the page.

I loved that feeling – the feeling of the words just pouring out. In fact, I wrote a poem about it called ‘The Write Feeling’ which actually described that process from the viewpoint of my 17-year-old self.

In the morning I would wake up and go back to the table to re-read what I’d read the night before. I’d always think ‘wow did I write that?’ I’d congratulate myself on a job well done without truly understanding where the words came from. I sure as hell didn’t think they came from me.

To answer the ‘can anyone do it?’ part of the question I would say yes absolutely – though the level of success you have will depend on (a) natural ability (b) your process and (c) a level of perseverance.

If you are interested in my writing workshops I will actually guide you through the automatic writing process, but for the time being, here are a couple of tips to get you started.

Find somewhere to sit comfortably in a relaxed state of being where you won’t be disturbed.
Spend a bit of time thinking about the question or challenge you would like some guidance around. Holding this in your mind you should find a way to ask a specific question around it – and write that question down. As you write that question down, it’s good to address it to either (a) your higher good, (b) your Spirit Guides or (c) ancestors, angelic or galactic beings – whoever you resonate with. For example: Dear Spirit Guide, why do I keep experiencing the same blocks/patterns in relationships with men?
The next part is to relax. I tend to take my students and clients through different stages of relaxation, starting off with breathing exercises before moving into a more meditative state, each stage designed to take you deeper and deeper into a very gentle trance like state. If you find this difficult, just focus on your breathe, or do as I used to do and doodle absent-mindedly. Take your time. Just breathe. Relax.
Use your non dominant writing hand. So if you are right-handed, channel holding the pen or pencil in your left hand. I explain this further in my workshops but this is basically about moving your logical brain out of the picture. The words will come.
The trick is not to allow your logical mind to step in and say ‘what’s this rubbish?’ It may seem like rubbish or gobbledygook to begin with and that’s fine … just try not to think about what you’re writing. If you do find your ‘thinking’ brain stepping forward, take yourself back a step to the relaxation phase and begin again. You will soon find the words begin to flow.

So this is just a taster and it’s here for you to use as a starting point. I encourage you to find your own process and your
own way to get your logical brain to step down a gear (or move out of its own way).

There are many benefits to this technique in terms of ‘connecting’ – whether that is with your inner most thoughts or
becoming aware of your subconscious mind. Who knows, perhaps there is a deeper message waiting to be channelled through you – something of great importance for your future growth or perhaps even words to help mankind!